Review - Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind EP - 9.0/10.0

When referring to Animal Collective, "forward thinking" is a severe understatement, and at the same time, an foregone conclusion. "Fall Be Kind," eradicates any doubt in my mind that Animal Collective is our generation's Beach Boys. Without straying far from the sound they established on Merriweather Post Pavillion earlier this year, they continue to explore the tangibility of music, survive and prove that you need not vocal perfection nor book musical acumen to pen gorgeous and tight harmonies and music that sounds contrived by some super computer with a wicked sense of humor.

The first track "Graze" starts off as some sort of freakish Broadway show tune but quickly diverges from the path for a polka jig. Avey Tare, singing "Let me begin," could be staking claim to a new sound, just asking permission like a kid deprived of play time. "What Would I Want? Sky", a ripe jam starts off with repetitive beats that crash like waves onto a shore of yelps, and after one too many turns, blends into the tune, which meets the early waves with lyrics that are like self-help without the answers all the while tinged in beach freak. Which fits very nicely with the villianesque vocals that begin the dark tune that is "Bleed."

There's a level of regret that can send one into a deep depression, but here, with only a handful of lyrics, shame only leads to revelation and a hope that there's a way out through enlightenment. It's only befitting that the next tune, "On a Highway," evokes a trip through how you cope with the mistakes you've made. "I took a mental picture/Of a place that I knew/Now it's living in me," acknowledging that the sadness often accompanying our errs is only a mean to a bright end.

Up until this tune, there is a lack of Panda Bear, Noah Lennox, but sure enough, where there's a 7-minute-plus track, there's usually a little or a lot of Panda to be had. His mantra-like delivery is a welcome change of pace. Tribal drums and heavy yelped rounds every now and then give way to some tinkling ivories and then it all comes back all that much more bass heavy. The tune sustains the self-reflection theme while begging the audience with a simple question, "What's nice about staying on the same things?," as if acceding that the band have found a "sound" that they are comfortable with.

Amensiac to it's Kid A, Fall Be Kind competently echoes it's predecessor's beauty and genius adequately. As long as the band can keep delivering songs that appear fresh and never rehashed, they are doing a great justice or their fans. You can buy the album in MP3 form HERE.